- Address: Sports East Road, Guangzhou
- Country: China
- Capacity: 54,000
- Opened: 1987
- Main use: Football
- Tenants:
Extra stadium info – Tianhe Stadium
The construction of the stadium, which is also used for athletics, started in 1984. It was renovated several times. In 1991, the venue hosted the first-ever match of the tournament which is currently known as the FIFA Women’s World Cup. China won the game against Norway 4-0. The Tianhe Stadium also hosted the inaugural final of the world championship for women’s national football teams. The United States won the match against Norway 2-1. The national football team of Sweden ended third place after beating Germany 4-0 in front of 20,000 spectators in the city of Guangzhou.
Guangzhou FC
Guangzhou Football Club, the first Chinese sports club with a value of at least $100 million, played numerous home games at the Tianhe Stadium. The club was founded under a different name and they won their first domestic top-flight football league title in 2011. Guangzhou FC drew an average attendance of 45,000 in 15 home games during that domestic football league season. Guangzhou Football Club won seven consecutive top-division titles between 2011 and 2017. In 2018, they were runners-up.
The Asian championship for football clubs
Guangzhou FC were crowned Asian football champions in 2013 for the first time in their history in front of 55,000 fans in Guangzhou. Elkeson, the first player of the national football team of China who was born in Brazil, and Gao Lin both scored in the two-legged final against the Korean side FC Seoul. Elkeson played for the Brazilian club Botafogo de Futebol en Regatas before he signed with Guangzhou FC.
The FIFA Club World Cup
The football club from Guangdong finished fourth place in their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup appearance in 2013. The world famous side FC Bayern München from Germany won the world championship for football clubs that year. 37,000 people attended the final against Raja, which took place in Morocco. Guangzhou FC reached the semi-finals of the 2013 FIFA World Cup after beating Al-Ahly, the first African football club with 10 continental championship titles. Guangzhou FC lost the third place match against Clube Atlético Mineiro from Brazil. Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho or Ronaldinho, scored in the game.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho won the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Brazil. Ronaldinho played for Atlético Mineiro between 2012 and 2014. The world famous Brazilian football star also played for Grêmio, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Flamengo, Querétaro FC and Fluminense. He won various major trophies before he ended his professional football career with the Brazilian club Fluminense in 2015. Ronaldinho and his brother were both being held in custody in Paraguay in 2020. While in prison, Ronaldinho scored several goals in a prison futsal tournament.
